 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi - i would appreciate some advice on selection of a touring ski.... I'm 6ft2 and around 11 stone.
I will be doing alpine day touring around Chamonix with longish ascents (up to 1200m). Also multi day touring - aiming for the haute route.
I'm thinking either the K2 Wayback 10/11 or K2 Coomback 10/11 with dynafit tlt radical.
1. I'm used to a 100m underfoot ski - so would feel comfortable with the coomback but Im unsure if the extra weight is justified as my touring ski
2. Do you think 102mm is too wide for European skin tracks or has that rule gone out of the window with the growth in popularity of fat skis
3. what size do you think I need? I was thinking 174. I read somewhere that k2 "skis long" any ideas what that means?
If anyone is after a similar set up, Sport Conrad have excellent deals on touring skis and will bundle dynafits for a €200 saving. Postage to the uk appears to be only €25.
http://www.sport-conrad.com/page/product-detail/__/shop/prod/1468
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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jsrt201, You're a big guy so the waist sounds fine, check out the Nunataq chez Voelkl. If fixed on Dynafit, check out Plum XL bindings to, what boot are you using to drive this stuff? Length needs to be at the longer end of 170's, more likely 184ish. When do you arrive in Chamonix, the town speacializes in this kind of kit, you won't see or be able to test a better selection anywhere in the world, perhaps worth holding fire at least until you've had a nosey?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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jsrt201, I would look at the Wayback - IMV you don't need 100+ mm to tour on. Icy traverses will be easier on narrower skis. I have Coombaks in a 181 as a powder/La Grave ski - but they are too long and too wide to tour on. I'm 5'6" and 10 stone.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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ski, Yeah, that's long for a tourer(for you), good length for an accomplished freeride ski though. Think the width will be fine circa 110 given that the boot width(external) will be around that given the height of the skier.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Firstly can't recommend sport conrad enough,
1: 100mm is perfect for fun factor, you certainly dont want to go much wider! Espcially if everyone else you tour with is on something thinner, you will constantly be trail bashing, i am heavier than you and have never found powder so deep 100mm couldn't handle it.
2: ok answered it above, 102 should be fine though ski, is right for long hauls or multi-day stuff - 100 is the absolute max you will want.
3: unless you are looking to charge down the descents 175 should be ok, I always use something more maneuverable for touring, firstly obviously shorter is easier for corners on the way up and secondly, very often you are miles from anywhere and don't know the route down, usually best to keep the brakes on a little and be able to hack down things is it all gets a little too steep/scary
I tour on a pair of Atomic Charters (from conrad infact) skis great, lots of tip rocker for deep bits, grippy enough on hardness, absoltuely rubbish in chopped up stuff...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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AIUI K2 skis don't "ski long" they are long because their measurements refer to running length rather than the length of the whole ski
i tour on a ski with 105mm underfoot and 188cm long but I am taller and fatter than you
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Arno, exactly, spot on, I'm 5'8" 78kg and use 177cm 98mm for variable, 184cm 109mm for Stash Days.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Fri 21-09-12 9:54; edited 1 time in total
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CH2O, shush, we all know you don't ski 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Arno, In my mind!
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Arno, My prodigy will be ready season 2013/14, then i've gotta get it back!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'm a touch shorter 6'1" and a touch heavier 77kg and tour those sort of vertical distances pretty regularly. Currently on a couple of year old BD Verdicts at 180 long and 102mm underfoot and am thinking of replacing those with 185 and 105mm underfoot Black Crows Corvus'. Both with Dynafits. You might want something a touch lighter for the Haute Route though!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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"Too wide for a European skintrack" is not a factor of waist; the tip will be the widest bit of any touring ski. My 92mm waist K2 Backlashes are ~129mm wide at the tip, my 113mm waist Praxis Wootests are ~124mm. The Coombacks should be fine, unless you only ever go skiing with crazy rando racers.
My Backlashes are sold as 174cm skis, but I think they're more like ~180cm if you go by the standards of most other ski manufacturers. I'm 5ft9, and I wouldn't want any longer from K2 cos I'd probably embarass myself trying kickturns  Unless you're built like a gorilla (little legs, long torso!) you'd be okay with the 181s, but I couldn't say whether you'd actually need them or not.
Being used to skiing a fatter ski won't necessarily translate into being happy doing long steep traverses on one. I also suspect that once your ski width exceeds your boot width, icy traverses are going to start getting rather uncomfortable, but I doubt 102mm will explode your ankles.
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Serriadh, (like)
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You know it makes sense.
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Another +1 for Sport Conrad.
6' 2" (188cm), 95 kg (15 st)
I tour on Movement Jam skis (136-85-117) in a 173cm length, admitedly in softer conditions than normaly experienced in the high Alps.
Lightweight ski paired with Dynafit Radical FT bindings and driven by Dynafit TLT 5 Performance boots.
Does it all with aplomb.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Mike Pow, think that should go in the BZK section
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Poster: A snowHead
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jsrt201, I wouldn't go overboard on width though. Don't forget that not only does this add to the weight of the ski but also to the weight and bulk of your skins in your sack.
I guess your day trips from Cham will be seeking out the powder but you're more likely to be touring on transformed snow - and if it's the Haute Route then it'll be crudely pisted too! Fat skis can be more of a handful and more tiring when the going is all chopped up. Too short a radius can cause problems too especially if the snow has a sun-baked crust. The waists can penetrate leaving the ends on the surface and you in a heap. Longer radius skis are less tiring too.
I guess I'm just trying to justify why I still tour on:
Line Darkside: 110-73-98 x 175cm x 1.55kg each
+ Fritschi Freeride + Kneissl Flexon
Me: 182cm x 77kg
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| CH2O wrote: |
| Mike Pow, think that should go in the BZK section |
BZK 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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jsrt201, don't go too wide, it's all a compromise between up and down. On long tour you will be going up most of the time. A decent climb rate of 300m per hour which you will ski down in 10mins. Wide skis on hard traverses are a nightmare and with very wide tips it will feel like breaking trail. Also as you semi break trail the snow will be piling up on top of your skis. This season I have gone up to 88 from 74.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I have both the Coomback and the Waybacks. Definately go for the waybacks for alpine touring. I did the haute route 2010 on them (with dynafits) and they were the perfect ski for that combination of ascents, long traverses and big descents. The Coombacks would be really inappropriate for that length of tour - lovely off piste shis that they are......
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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jsrt201, mine's another vote for keeping it real with the ski width and just as importantly, the ski radius. There isn't much to like about pooping yourself on a traverse above rocks, struggling to hold an edge when the exposure is heady and not feeling confident that your skis are nimble and turny enough to nail your passage when you really need them to. As much as I admire the warp speed, straight line, on top of it all, Alaskan powder crews, real life for me is rarely, if ever likely to deliver the chance. My Scott Crusairs @ 90 mm underfoot are plenty floaty in the powder and slush, very nimble with a 16 metre radius and are easy to hoof about and climb on mounted with Dynafit bindings.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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moffatross, a bigger ski radius is definitely better for the steeps - more edge in contact with the snow on a traverse, and assuming you're making pivot turns (carving 16m arcs on a 40+º slope would be very impressive!!), makes not a jot of difference to ease of turning, or size of turns, until the slope mellows out and you can make bigger turns more based on the radius. Also as mentioned above, having less sidecut is better in breakable crusts, as you avoid the middle sinking whilst the tip/tail stay on top.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Wow - amazing response thanks..
I'm planning to use a pure touring boot e.g. Scarpa Maestrale .. I will be going to a boot fitter here before xmas.
I'm sold on the Waybacks in a 174 now. They look perfect for what I need. All of the concerns I had about the Coombacks being slightly too wide to be suited to long distance touring in variable snow have been echoed.
I will probably order them from Conrad Sports before going out as I don't want to be messing around with kit on arrival.
Thanks again!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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jbob, 3 production runs a year makes this only 33.33333blahblahblah likely.
Plus I think you mean RS, facebook has images.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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jbob, The screws on all Scarpa come loose, a good bootfitter will "pull up" the screw rivets if you ask.
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You know it makes sense.
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jsrt201, From your OP am I right in thinking you're just starting touring? If so, welcome, you'll love it! However, I'm not sure I'd plan an Haute Route until you've become used to your kit. Your choice of width and weight will depend on your age and level of fitness. I'm fit, but my skiing buddies are fitter, so for me, the lighter, the narrower, the better, so that I can keep up.
Why not do a few day trips, or one or two nighters from Chamonix? Sanglard have a wide selection of touring rigs to try - you could experiment with a different one each day - and then decide on what would suit you best.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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CH2O, yes RS. It was the alinement issue that bothered me, plus if LZK could not fix them maybe it's not so trivial.
I did think the old maestrals might be on sale with a new boot out but it looks as though it might be a separate model.
What do you think of them.
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Poster: A snowHead
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jbob, I think it fills a gap nicely.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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clarky999,
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I'm not saying they're bad skis, just that straighter is generally considered better for the steeps, and not just in my experience. Horses for courses though.
Presumably there are other differences in the skis than just turn radii? I believe they're carbon, so likely much more torsionally stiff for a start (hold an edge better).
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+1. I have the Powd'airs and they're an excellent steep ski 
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